Living a healthy, active lifestyle will help you lose weight and is good for you in so many ways. But one thing it can’t always do is get rid of those pockets of stubborn fat that plague many of us. Our genes determine where we lose weight last and put on weight first, and sometimes there seems like nothing we can do about it. If that’s how you feel, take heart. There is something you can do, and that’s CoolSculpting. Most people are good candidates for this treatment, offered here at Beautique Medical Anti-Aging in Knoxville, TN.
Who Is a Good Candidate for CoolSculpting?
Ideal candidates for this painless, non-invasive treatment are in pretty good shape, take care of their bodies, and are in generally good health. They’re careful about their diet, but they need a bit of help with a problem spot here and there. Good candidates have a BMI of less than 30 and tend to have a few other things in common:
Clear Expectations
Most people who have CoolSculpting are pleased with their results, but it does take a few months for them to fully develop. Good candidates understand this isn’t an instant fix and want to wait for natural-looking results to develop over time. You’ll also be a good candidate if you understand the results you can achieve from CoolSculpting are a bit more subtle than what lipo can do, but that’s because there’s no pain, downtime, and prep needed.
A Love for Good Health
This treatment destroys fat cells forever, but good candidates know that the remaining fat cells can still expand if they continue to put on weight. Therefore, the best results are seen in people who have a strong commitment to their healthy lifestyle and realize it does them a lot of good on every level: not just weight loss! You might be glad to know, however, that a lot of people find they are really motivated to keep fit and active once they see the great results they get with this treatment.
Stubborn Fat They Hate
Many of us have an area of the body that simply won’t shed weight, even though we work hard at it. Good candidates aren’t looking to lose 50 pounds: they’re trying to slim down specific areas that are resistant to diet and weight loss efforts.
How Does CoolSculpting Work?
This treatment works through cryolipolysis, which is a mashup of three roots from ancient Greek:
- cryo, which means cold: you may recognize the same prefix from the word cryogenesis
- lipo, which means fat: you may recognize this stem from terms like liposuction
- lysis, which means to dissolve or destroy: you’ll have seen this in words like electrolysis
From the meaning of these words, you probably aren’t surprised to learn that CoolSculpting is the process of dissolving fat cells through the application of cold. We put an applicator to your treatment area, where the cells are treated to a blast of cold, and the fat cells die. The dead fat cells are then whisked away by your body’s lymphatic system in the same way as any other waste.
Doesn’t This Hurt Other Cells?
No! Most of the other cells in our bodies are water-based, not fat-based. Water freezes at a lower temperature than fat, which you may have noticed with butter and water in your fridge. Your fridge is probably cold enough to make the butter hard as a rock, but your water doesn’t even get close to freezing in there. The cold used in this treatment is enough to kill fat cells, but it’s not nearly cold enough to harm the other cells of your body.
How Many Sessions Will It Take?
The number of treatments you need depends on the size of the area you want to treat and exactly how much fat reduction you’re hoping for. A small problem area can often be treated in just one session. Others might need a series. We’ll help you design a treatment plan that meets your needs and goals.
About Treatment and Results
There’s no prep required for this treatment. You’ll just come in, we’ll make a few marks on your skin to use as a reference for positioning the applicator, and then we’ll apply a gel that allows the applicator to move easily. When we first begin, you’ll feel a cooling sensation in the area, but it will go numb very quickly, and most people spend their session relaxing, reading, or catching up with friends by text or social media.
After the treatment is over, we’ll massage the area. This helps to break up the fat cells so they don’t stick together in the cold, and this also helps your body get to work quickly in flushing away fat cells. After that, there’s nothing you need to do. Since this is an entirely non-invasive treatment, you don’t have any recovery period. You can go right back to your regular schedule.
Your body needs a bit of time to remove the fat cells. This is a natural process, and it can take two to three months to fully finish. Many patients love this aspect of the treatment, though, because there’s no dramatic change that signals they’ve had work done. Your results will be indistinguishable from the weight loss that happens naturally via diet and exercise.
FAQ About CoolSculpting
Can I Get Frostbite From This Treatment?
There’s no risk of frostbite or any damage to the body through this treatment. The controlled cooling CoolSculpting offers is not cold enough to damage your skin. You may notice your skin is pink afterward, much as it might be after spending a day playing in the snow, but there won’t be any frostbite or any risk.
How Much Fat Can I Lose?
On average, this treatment removes about 24% of the fat cells in any given area.
What Parts of the Body Can It Work On?
This treatment is useful in almost any part of the body. Many people get treatment for pockets of stubborn fat on their upper arms, abdomen, flanks, hips, and even the submental fullness that can appear under the chin.
Is This Safe?
Yes! The treatment is FDA-approved since 2010, and it has been used many times since. It has a strong track record of safety and effectiveness.
Can I Exercise After Treatment?
Yes! You can go right back to your regular schedule after CoolSculpting. There’s no need to change your active lifestyle. In fact, keeping up with exercise will help your body to get rid of the dead fat cells even more quickly.
How Does This Treatment Compare With Lipo?
Both of these fat removal treatments have their place, but liposuction is much more invasive. It suctions away fat cells from the body, and thus it does give more dramatic results. However, because of the swelling that results from the procedure itself, you actually won’t see your results immediately with lipo, either. You have to wait for the swelling to go down to notice a difference, and during that period you may experience quite a bit of discomfort.
There are also restrictions about what you can do after having lipo that simply don’t exist with CoolSculpting. Additionally, not everyone is a candidate for lipo, but there are very few people who are not candidates for a cryolipolysis treatment.
What Other Services Can This Treatment Be Combined With?
We offer an array of services at our center, and they can all be combined with this treatment to help you reach your goals and feel amazing in your own skin. We have an array of skin rejuvenation treatments, dermal fillers, and several other body sculpting treatments, and we offer the P-shot and O-shot as well as hair loss treatment with PRP. When you come for your consultation, talk to us about your concerns. We are passionate about helping people put together treatment plans that get the results they love.
Get Started Today
If you are putting in the time at the gym and constantly denying yourself at the table, but you still have pockets of unwanted fat, this treatment could be the answer. It’s safe, fast, painless, and genuinely effective. If you’ve thought you can’t have the body you’ve always wanted because those stubborn areas refuse to cooperate, don’t give up. Instead, contact us at Beautique Medical Anti-Aging in Knoxville, TN to schedule a consultation and see if this treatment is right for you!